Category Archives: Diet And Food

One of the reasons that I keep reading about medical subjects so much is that new information can change the way we look at things. This, in turn, can lead us to give different advice, sometimes nearly opposite to what we have been taught before.

For example, health experts have been telling us for many years that to decrease the risk of heart attacks and cancer, it would be wise to cut back on red meat, and especially processed red meat, like bacon.

However, five recent systematic reviews have suggested that the unhealthful effects of regular meat consumption are in question and might be insignificant.

While the scientists did not address the environmental aspects of meat production and the potential benefits of a non-meat diet, they did change the way some of us might feel about our choice to be carnivores.

Some of the previous conclusions were based on case-control studies, where researchers started with an endpoint (for example, people who already have cancer). For each person with a disease, they find a match or control subject (someone without the disease). Then, they would look at the history of those people and try to determine if any patterns of exposure (like eating meat) differed in those with cancer compared to those who did not have cancer.

Researchers tried to control for confounding factors, the unmeasured variables that might lead to one person getting cancer while another stayed healthy. But they could never factor in all the possibilities.

Such observational studies cannot tell you enough to make definitive recommendations. But if many of the best quality observational studies found a large effect on a disease in the data, they were thought to be probably pointing to something real.

A few years ago, this sort of thinking about the available studies, including animal and case-control studies resulted in the World Health Organizations International Agency for Research on Cancer announcing that people should cut back on processed meats if they wanted to avoid certain types of cancer. The American Heart Association and the U.S. governments dietary guidelines panel have also been pointing us toward a plant-rich diet for years.

The new meat studies attempted to rely on higher quality evidence to draw their conclusions. Even then, the results are not perfect, and will no doubt produce much debate over the coming years.

That nutrition science is updating old findings with new evidence does not mean the science has been completely wrong. Science a long and sometimes circuitous process involving continuing re-analysis in the effort to get to the truth.

If anything, despite the confusion the recent meat studies produce, they remind us that the science is getting better and that it okay to question conventional wisdom as new information becomes available.

These re-evaluations are not evidence that science is doomed. We should not doubt every scientific finding that is out there, especially when the conclusion is not the result of a single study, but the result of a lot of good studies.

I spend a lot of time trying to recognize when evidence is strong or weak and who sponsored the studies involved. Since not all published findings are equal, it is always important to maintain a critical eye. This is especially true when we are dealing with large shifts in the conclusions, like the idea that the amount of red meat we consume is not really a significant factor in our health.

In my opinion, it is reasonable to recommend moderation in all things, including our diet. Perhaps, a plant-rich diet could contain some red meat without quite as much guilt for some of us who want to be healthy but love consuming meat.

Read more:
Use moderation in all things, including diet | Columnists - KPCnews.com

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62 Healthy Recipes to Cook While You're on the Mediterranean Diet - FOX10 News

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Tamra Judge: What I Eat in a Day

We've seen Tamra Judge knock back her fair share of tequila this season on The Real Housewives of Orange County but that's when she's eating out. When she's at home, Tamra told BravoTV.com in the video above that she only drinks water... andthe rest of her daily diet is just as virtuous.

After starting off her day with (you guessed it) water, Tamra moves onto coffee and a breakfast of berry-topped oatmeal. Unlike her pal Shannon Storms Beador, who confided that she snacks all day, Tamra's not one for eating between meals. If she does, though, she'll have a handful of raw nuts.

For lunch, it's onto a salad topped with lean protein such as chicken. There's more protein at dinner, as well as a vegetable and a complex carb. Then, after a dose of her VENA CBD, Tamra's "out like a light" at 9 p.m. After all, she wakes up early every morning to hit the gym!

Watch the video above to hear more about the Housewife's daily diet.

The Feast is Bravos digital destination serving culinary inspiration and essential food news. Like us on Facebook and visit daily for diet and wellness trends, kitchen hacks and tools and the buzziest celebrity, chef, and restaurant happenings you need to know about right now.

Continued here:
This Is Everything Tamra Judge Eats in a Day - Bravo

Type 2 diabetes means a persons pancreas cannot produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugar levels.Over time, unchecked blood sugar levels pose serious health risks, such as heart disease. Fortunately, certain dietary decisions can help to control blood sugar levels. Evidence singles out a particular fruit and its health benefits for type 2 diabetics.

Adding avocado to your breakfast could help stabilise blood sugar levels throughout the day.

Avocados have grown in popularity over the years as they are packed with vitamins, nutrients, and heart-healthy fats. While they are high in fat, its the good kind of fat that benefits people with type 2 diabetes.

For those suffering with the condition, adding an avocado to their diet may help them to lose weight, lower cholesterol and increase insulin sensitivity.

In a study published in the Nutrition Journal, it was shown that avocados are beneficial for type 2 diabetics as they are low in carbohydrates, which means they will not affect blood sugar levels.

In the study it was noted that avocados do not significantly impact blood sugar levels.

The healthy fats found in avocados helps a person feel fuller for longer which aids in weight loss and helps with type 2 diabetes.

In a study with the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, diet plans were analysed.

The researchers found that a weight loss diet high in monounsaturated fats improves insulin sensitive in a way not seen in a comparable high-carb diet.

A healthy diet is critical for type 2 diabetics and, in general, following a diet plan of foods that help control blood sugar levels is crucial.

Avocados help control the blood sugar levels throughout the day and lowers blood pressure and cholesterol.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, one cup of avocado cubes weighing 150 grams contains 12.79g of carbohydrates, less than 1g of sugar, 10.1g of fibre, 22g of fat and only 240 calories.

With so few carbohydrates, a high fibre content and healthy fat, those with type 2 diabetes can enjoy an avocados in moderation without the stress and worry of raising their blood sugar levels.

Pairing an avocado with other foods may help rescue blood sugar spikes, too.

The fat and fibre content takes longer to digest and slows the absorption of other carbohydrates at the same time.

Avocados can be added to scrambled eggs, on toast or whipped up as a delicious guacamole.

Visit link:
Type 2 diabetes: Best food item to add to your breakfast to lower blood sugar - Express

This article, written byAnnalijn I. Conklin, University of British Columbia and Hadis Mozaffari, University of British Columbia, originally appeared on The Conversation and has been republished here with permission:

Since the late 1970s, a diversified diet has been considered an essential component of healthy eating. Ensuring a good balance of nutrients is crucial for people to stay healthy. Dietary diversity is also a key indicator of diet quality as well as nutritional adequacy.

But what does a varied diet consist of, and what is its relationship to risk of diseases?

Nutritional epidemiology a field of medical research that studies the relationship between nutrition and health in populations is moving from nutrient-based to diet-based approaches to understand relationships between food, nutrients and health. This is because recent evidence shows that overall patterns of usual and long-term dietary intakes are better at predicting disease risk.

Variety leads to health

Currently, there is no standardized methodology for assessing the variety or diversity of a diet and so it is very difficult to compare studies of the health impacts of dietary diversity. Despite this issue, there is a shared understanding across most studies that a diverse diet is one that consists of five to six core food groups, and improves survival and reduces disease when compared to diets comprising only three core food groups.

Our preliminary review of the published literature has revealed a growing body of evidence that supports the notion that greater dietary diversity (at least five to six food groups) is associated with reduced risk of depression, type 2 diabetes, asthma, food allergies, metabolic syndrome, osteoporosis and even mortality.

Dietary diversity, particularly vegetable and fruit diversity, has been also associated with reduced risk of several cancers including oral and pharyngeal, laryngeal, lung and bladder cancers. In addition, key risk factors for chronic conditions related to metabolism and circulation also appear to be better in healthy and unhealthy people who have more diverse diets. The most consistent improvements are seen with decreased hypertension and serum triglyceride level.

Dietary diversity risks

By contrast, greater controversy exists over the association between dietary diversity and the risk of obesity or colorectal cancer. Eating a wider variety of foods may result in consuming more calories which may, in turn, cause obesity. And there are some studies showing a positive association between greater dietary diversity and higher weight. However, most of the studies provided a negative link between diversity and risk of obesity, while others report no association.

This seeming inconsistency in the literature might highlight the importance of variety within specific food groups. For instance, a study on 452,269 participants from 10 European countries showed that people eating the widest variety of fruits and vegetables had decreased average body mass index, despite increasing energy intake. Greater variety within specific food groups may also explain conflicting results for colorectal cancer.

Eating a large variety of fruits was associated with higher risk of rectal cancer after 13 years of follow-up in one study, but was not related to colorectal cancer in another case-control study conducted in Northern Italy. In fact, that study also showed that eating a greater variety of fruits and vegetables reduced the risk of colorectal cancer.

It is noteworthy that the most consistent decrease in disease risk was observed when people increase the diversity of the vegetables they consume. But variety within other food groups, such as grains, was either not associated with health outcomes or was adversely associated with health outcomes, as was the case with greater variety of meat intakes.

Supporting healthy eating

Canada has a new food guide that serves as a practical tool for public nutrition education and part of a national policy for dietary improvement. The Canada Food guide has spurred conversations on what it means to eat healthily in Canada, with politicians also wading in.

We want to raise two specific issues about the new Food Guide that deserve more research and policy attention. First, the new Canadian Food Guide is now limited to only three main food groups, and this is a reduction from the four food groups in the previous Food Guide and from the five or six groups in Canadas dietary guidelines from the 1940s. The message this gives to Canadians is that a healthy diet only needs three different food groups, despite the fact that the science tells us otherwise.

The evidence we reviewed showed that health outcomes and survival are improved when a persons regular diet includes at least five to six major food groups (e.g. fruits, vegetables, dairy, grains and proteins).

Second, there is even less dietary guidance on the meaning of variety for Canadians. Previously, Canadians were given at least two specific recommendations to ensure adequate intake of vitamin A and folate by consuming one dark green vegetable, and one orange vegetable or orange fruit.

The Australian Guide to Heathy Eating provides some definition of what it means to have a diversified diet: consumers are told to eat different types and colours of vegetables, as well as legumes/beans. The American dietary guidelines specifically recommend that consumers choose a variety of vegetables from all of the subgroups: dark green, red and orange, legumes (beans and peas), starchy and other. Both these dietary guidelines give their citizens and even researchers clearer direction on what it means to have a varied diet as part of healthy eating.

There is a need for more policy and research attention to dietary diversity. This should include more specific advice that reflects the evidence on different health effects of choosing a variety of foods within each of the vegetable, protein, dairy, fruit and grain foods groups. Clearly defining the meaning and measurement, especially for use in national dietary guidelines, is crucial to the dialogue surrounding healthy eating in Canada.

Annalijn I. Conklin, Assistant Professor (UBC) & Scientist (CHEOS), University of British Columbia and Hadis Mozaffari, PhD student in Nutritional Epidemiology, University of British Columbia

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Original post:
What does it really mean to add variety to your diet? - KitchenerToday.com

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Three athletes have been put to the test as they had their erections measured after switching to eating plant-based meals, in Netflixs The Game Changers.

Originally released in June and now airing on the streaming platform, the film boasts big names as executive producers, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan and Lewis Hamilton, and talks about the misconceptions around eating meat to support physical prowess in sport.

James Wilks, who teaches fighting tactics to members of the defense forces, narrated the shebang, as the documentary looked at every facet of how our bodies are affected by plant-based diets.

While Piers Morgan might have come up against James and vegan bodybuilder Patrik Baboumian recently, fans have been praising the honest look at what meat-eating does to our bodies, without showing grim images of slaughterhouses.

The coverage showed the change plant-based diets had on the quality of athletes blood and the endurance they had on the field or in the gym. But it was one particular scene which tested the erections of athletes that took things to a whole other level.

Dr Aaron Spitz, lead delegate of the American Urological Association conducted the study, as he said: When I think of a manly man, I think of someone who has strength, endurance, sexual prowess and fertility.

In fact, what the scientific studies are showing, is that the more meat men eat, the more quickly they lose theirmanly manhood.

Three collegiate athletes were measured during the night, donning a pair of rings that went on the base of the penis and the other went on the tip, tracking the strength, longevity and number of erections over two nights.

Fed a burrito either made up of beef, chicken or pork on the first night, the men were measured, before then eating a plant-based burrito with vegan versions of the meat for the second night.

The resultswellthe results had them giggling.

Mason read his results first, with a graph showing the bigger the circumference of the circle score, the harder his erection. When comparing the two nights, he had nearly a 9% increase in the strength of his member after eating plant-based.

Then, when it came to how many minutes a night he was having erections, were talking a 303% increase.

That was nothing on Blake, the second athlete, who saw a 477% difference in how many minutes he had an erection on a plant based diet.

The other Blake (yes, two Blakes) had a 13% change in the hardness off his erection. When it came to how many minutes, he had a 312% increase.

Thats, like, an hour! second Blake giggled, as the rest of the panel descended into laughs about their improved erections after ditching meat for just a night.

Viewers had a laugh along with them, as one took to Twitter to speak about that scene in particular.

The scene in #TheGameChangers, showing how those athletes had bigger/longer lasting erections from just one plant based meal killed me they wrote.

If only people with penises would realise how good a plant based diet is for you

Arnold Schwarzenegger also weighed in on switching to a vegetarian diet, explaining in his early days of bodybuilding he was a big meat eater.

I ate a lot of meat, I ate my 10-15 eggs a day and you know had my 250g of protein a day because I weighed 250 pounds, the Terminator star explained.

But as I got older and read up on it I recognised the fact you really dont have to get your protein from meat or animals. So we started going more in the direction of a vegetarian diet.

Speaking about using the right spices in his veggie diet, Arnie added: Now I love it much more than the meat.

The cholesterol went downit was the lowest its been in my entire life, at almost 69.

He continued about the marketing of meat: There is no one that can relate to it better than I do, Ive been involved in that world, Steak is for man. They show these commercial, burgers, George Foreman with the grill

This is great, great marketing for the meat industry. Selling that idea that real man eat meat. But you got to understand thats marketing, thats not based on reality.

He noted its not easy to give up meat gold turkey (pun intended), and he wasnt imploring everyone to go vegan now or elselike a lot of vegans do.

If you go to people and say, you must stop eating meat, theyll say f*ck you, who the f*ck are you to tell me how to eat.

But if you explain it, say, Hey, why dont you try once a week, chill with the meat.

The Game Changers is on Netflix now.

If you've got a story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk Entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page - we'd love to hear from you.

MORE: Its your duty to watch: Viewers praise Lewis Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzeneggers vegan Netflix documentary The Game Changers

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Read more:
Netflix's The Game Changers: Athletes stunned as vegan diet boosts erections - Metro.co.uk

Its a myth that your hormones decline because you age, in reality, you age because your hormones decline!

The term anti-ageing is literally all over the place, but what does It really mean? Anti ageing treatment is about maintaining your youth in the form of beauty and health. So, this implies that you have to take care of your internal and external facets.

Anti-ageing treatment is a scientific and medical (allopathic) approach to maintain health and beauty. It is just not about anti-wrinkle creams but anti ageing medicine is a holistic approach for treating a persons body and mind, preventing and treating illnesses.

Traditional allopathic medicine has been limited to health repair, not care! However, anti-ageing medicine is a revolutionary approach to traditional allopathic medicine, It uses conventional medical and scientific tools along with knowledge while integrating good lifestyle practices. Lifestyle factors include nutritious diets, physical exercise and stress management, to create a holistic, preventive and therapeutic approach.

Anti-ageing treatment also incorporates aesthetic medicine for the external body. Anti-ageing medicine attempts to understand and treat common ailments, ranging from superficial ageing appearance to weight gain, to the irritable conditions concerning women such as menstruation, fertility, menopause, life-threatening diseases such as heart ailments and osteoporosis. Anti-ageing treatment also aims at treating conditions such as andropause, secondary erectile dysfunction and low libido, affecting men.

The Fountain Of Youth

Though we end up buying creams and lotions which promote anti-ageing, we need to understand that the beauty of youth comes from within, which means its important for you to look inside your body. Furthermore, the fountain of youth is your hormones. Hormones are chemical substances produced by special parts of the body called glands. Flowing through the blood into the various body parts, these hormones act as managers optimizing the appearance and functions of your body.

Replacing hormones prevents the external and internal changes in your body, which is termed as ageing. Thus, hormones allow you to maintain the glory of your youth. The major hormones include insulin, thyroid, estrogen. progesterone, testosterone, melatonin and the growth hormone (somatotropin).

Hormones And Internal Well-Being

As you age. your glands start producing smaller quantities of hormones, resulting in changes in your internal bodily functions as well as your external appearance. Each hormone contributes to your internal well-being and external appearance. So. replacing hormones allow you to maintain your beauty and health. But animal sourced Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) causes health problems.

So, what we need is Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT). These hormones are derived from plants, altered to be identical to those produced by your body. Also, these hormones are recognized and can be used safely by your body. However, BHRT can be administered only by a qualified anti-ageing doctor and is available by prescription only.

Anti-ageing medicine is the process of prevention, detection and cure of age related diseases. This medicine is gaining tremendous popularity worldwide and is being looked upon as an upcoming stream of medicine.

Living longer, healthier and happier lives this is exactly what anti-ageing treatments can do as anti-ageing works from the inside out.

Ageing has a lot to do with a persons diet, exercise, attitude towards life, hormone levels in the body, the amount of stress one feels, etc. And with the use of the anti-ageing therapy, the process of ageing can definitely be slowed down. Thus, its a myth that your hormones decline because you age, in reality, you age because your hormones decline!

Six Basic Pillars

Anti-ageing medicine has six basic pillars which include nutrition, physical exercise, stress reduction, BHRT, advanced technology and aesthetics. With the combination of these six pillars along with the right balance of hormones in the body, ageing can be slowed down to a great extent. Thus, you are never too old to start looking, plus feeling younger, or never too young to remain young. The idea is to look and feel younger!

The initial step of anti-ageing therapy is to ascertain your lifestyle and health needs. For this, fourteen major ageing indicators in your mind and body are checked by specialists. Based on the outcome of these tests, an anti-ageing programme is constructed around your lifestyle and needs.

Is It For You?

So, if you experience low energy levels, Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) or Premenstrual Tension (PMT) related problems, sleeping disorders, wrinkles and loss of skin, hair loss or changes in colour, reduced cognitive ability, sexual dysfunction and changes in menstrual cycle or hearing impairment, then the anti-ageing therapy is just for you1 These problems can be prevented and cured. It is also possible to prevent further damage to your body by opting for the anti-ageing therapy.

Read more:
What Exactly Is Anti-Ageing Treatment? - Version Weekly

Its the season to celebrate. And no celebration in the festive season is complete without loads of sweets. A month down the line and we are no longer proud of our waistlines!! The festive season brings with it a heavy intake of processed foods for meals, snacks and the in-betweens. All good things come with a price, which in this case means added sugar and tons of calories.

A quick look at the dietary recommendations first. Good health indicators tell us that we need to limit the total added sugar intake to less than 10% per day. Without playing a spoilt sport in the festive season, we must remember that white sugar consumption is the main cause of lifestyle-related disorders like obesity and type 2 Diabetes. None of these is good news and before we dig into the sweets around us, we must remember a saying I live by. Once on the lips, forever on the hips!!

Its not all that disappointing actually. The recent influx of low-calorie sweeteners (LCS) can make you feel far less guilty before you dig into your next piece of besan ladoo. These sweeteners are food additives that provide sweetness with minimal calories. Low-calorie sweeteners act as a wonderful replacement to traditional sugars without affecting the taste of the food. I have been studying these sweeteners and the options available for quite some time now and have spoken to doctors, health experts and chefs who use them. My view is that it can be safely concluded that LCS may benefit blood glucose levels and are effective in weight management. A healthy diet or low-calorie diet has minimal or no free sugars. Low-calorie sweeteners are a safe alternative to free sugars when consumed within permissible limits.

At a recent forum on low-calorie sweeteners and healthy living, there was a debate on how these additives are safe for consumption. Noted chef Sanjeev Kapoor had a take on this. While he did agree that replacing most high-calorie food products is difficult, yet sugar which adds free calories to the diet can be replaced easily with low-calorie sweeteners. His take was that if we try low-calorie sweeteners for two to three weeks, we get habituated to the taste.

With Diwali in the next few days, you would want to indulge in yummy traditional sweets and distribute the same to your friends and family. While one is merry-making and pleasing the sweet tooth, one needs to be cautious of the sugar intake and at the same time doesnt have to give it up as well.

So here are some tips to go sugar-free this Diwali:

Sharing some healthy sugarfree recipes:

Apple / custard apple kheer

Ingredients:

Method:

Pumpkin Halwa

Ingredients:

Method:

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.

View post:
Go sugar-free and guilt-free this Diwali! - Economic Times

Editors note: This is the last in a three-part series of articles following a heart transplant journey.

Throughout the journey related to my husband Brandons heart transplant, which he received May 1 at Integris Baptist Medical Center, I have learned a lot and have seen some interesting sights. During Brandons hospitalization post-transplant, we had education classes to learn about necessary lifestyle changes. Here are a few:

Sun sensitivity: Transplant patients are highly sensitive to UV rays. Brandon invested in a black, large-brimmed hat, a cool-wicking, long-sleeved shirt with UV protection, polarized wraparound sunglasses and multiclava scarves (to protect against against germs in crowds). Some people jokingly told him he looked like an old-timey robber or the invisible man. He said he felt like a vampire, because he immediately felt sapped by the sun and could see his skin turn a little pink sometimes. Wearing sunscreen was also suggested.

Diet change: In addition to continuing his low-sodium diet, we learned that certain foods and restaurants are off-limits.

First, no buffets or places that have food items sitting out in the open, due to possible bacterial cross contamination. Second, no grapefruits or pomegranates, due to possible interaction with medications.

Third, vegetables must be eaten cooked, and salads cant be eaten in restaurants because of the threat of bacteria. Any salads eaten must be prepared fresh in a clean environment with clean hands.

No drinking fountains: This should be self explanatory.

Denervated heart: In the process of doing a heart transplant, a certain nerve has to be cut. This leads to transplant patients having a slower reaction time when something distressing or surprising happens. It also means recovery from those experiences takes longer.

I also had some unique experiences at the hospital, mainly during his rejection episode. Here are a few:

Therapy dogs: During my husbands hospitalization for rejection, I saw eight therapy dogs. The first was a white golden doodle named Mavee, followed by a Great Pyrenees, a black lab, two Burmese mountain dogs, a red-brown golden doodle, a hound and German Shepherd mix and a Shelty.

I first saw Mavee the day after Brandons cardiac arrest, which happened June 23 after he suffered a seizure during an IV infusion treatment. She added sunlight to my sad day and helped me feel a little better. After that, I actively sought out the dogs when they were nearby.

Geese herding: When we started going to the hospital for medical appointments a lot, I would often see Canada geese on the premises. Eventually, I started counting the geese. They always acted casually and took forever to cross roadways.

One day upon arriving at the hospital, I saw a group of about 30 to 40 geese walking in the main hospital entrance and exit areas. Two employees one at the head and one at the back of the gaggle were attempting to herd all of them back to safety, while conducting traffic.

I overheard one employee say, Did you hiss at me? to a young goose, then reassure the goose that he was trying to help it. It was the highlight of my day.

Cleaning conundrums: The night of my husbands cardiac arrest, someone moved a recliner into a waiting room so I could sleep somewhat comfortably. I left for breakfast that morning, and when I got back, it was gone.

A family member told me a janitorial employee saw it, got mad and moved it immediately before cleaning the room.

Later, we moved to a waiting room on the other side that had three round tables with big lamps on each one. One lamp had no light bulb. I had to work, so I moved it safely up onto a wide window ledge, with the cord placed beside it.

Then I moved the table in front of my seat, placed my work computer on top and straddled the table. After I was finished working, I put everything safely back in its place.

Every time, the janitorial employee had the urge to move them back. Brandon later told me he overheard some nurses talking about it, and I said, That was me!

Definition of home: Three weeks was the length of time it took before I started referring to the hospital as my second home during Brandons second hospital stint. When people asked why we were there, I replied, We live here.

I had to go home nearly each night to care for our son, but over the entirety of both stays, I had to travel almost daily to Oklahoma City to see Brandon. So, the hospital became my daytime home.

Thankfully, my whole family is back home now, and I hope it stays that way for a long time.

See original here:
Lessons learned during the transplant process - Norman Transcript

I started to think about livinga very long life. What would it require?

133 years old is the aspirational age I choseafterreading Dan Sullivan, and his ideas of how to extend our lives byfirst setting a goal. You are supposed to select a number beyond the currentlife expectancy that you want to live to, and then make a choice about how youwill spend those extra years.

Then I came across Dr. Jeffery Gladdens Apex Longevity clinic, which aimsto reverse engineer your health so that you can be the robust state of a33-year-old for all of those remaining years.

So I set about to get myself healthier in my new commitment toliving an extraordinarily long life.

______

I stopped drinking entirely. With the exception of an annual bender with mywife and friends at New Orleans Jazz Fest.

And I started doing more yoga, eating more vegetables.

I even crawl on the floor with my trainer so that at somefuture date when my sons mature enough to have their own families, Ill be ableto crawl on the floor with my grandkids.

What Im trying to tell you is, I did very human things to offsetdeath. Things both normal and bizarre in order to make me feel hopeful ofliving until 133.

And the truth is I was pretty healthy until 8pm every singleday.

But at 8pm,I wanted crackers and cookies.

Dont we all? No?

______

On a recent business trip to Dallas, I stopped in on Dr. Gladdensclinic and decided to do some testing.

And then, about 6 weeks ago, I got a call from one of the doctorsthat scared the shit out of me.

Let me just say this: when you invest in the act of going to alongevity clinic you automatically think youve got the system beat. Just byshowing up and charging the credit card youve received insurance against theinevitable.

So the lead doctor from the clinic after Ive come and gone andIm safely back in Columbus, Ohio calls me and says: Ive got your results,and its not good.

He might have even used the word crisis, but I instantly wentdeep inside to my daydreaming inner child. A very quiet place.

Its a technique I learned to use in fearful or uncomfortablesituations. I literally stop hearing the person, or anything else in the world,and yet, I can give all the head-nods, and uh-huhs necessary to get to theend.

After a very long pause in which I was far, far away, I finallywhispered unconsciously, What does that mean, not good?

To which he says, You need an echogram and a CAT scan, you arenot in immediate danger, but Id like it done in the next fewdays.

Which isit?!? The next few days or Im not in immediate danger?

Is thisbecause of the cookies?

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From daydreamer mode, I immediately went into my second mostfamiliar default: the catastrophic,Im-about-to-die mode.

I scheduled the CAT scan and started hugging my wife so much Imsure it was annoying. And I kissed my kids with a severity that probablyconfused them.

In those few short days between the call and the test, either atthe dinner table, or as I was drifting asleep, everything would turn cinematic,and I would think:

Is this it? Is this the last moment of my life?

Heart attack now?

What about now?

I would blink, surprised I was still alive. Without a singleflutter in my chest.

______

Then, the test itself. Itself, a test of mortality. I went intothe bright white tube thinking I dont know what they are going to find. All ofthis just as Im getting my groove with life.

______

I think you probably know where this is headed.

I did not go straight into surgery. In fact, there was zeroevidence that I was going to have a catastrophic ending.

I was going to live, in fact. They found pretty much nothing wrongwith me, a bit of plaque that if cookies and crackers continue to be thepreferred diet, Id likely have an issue about 20 years down the road.

______

So what was this week-long experience about?

I determined that it was a nudge from the Universe.

How do you want to shift right now?

The Universe asked me. It could all be over tomorrow, but if its not, how do you want to live?

Well, in that case, I have a long-winded response back to theUniverse:

Share.

So Ive committed myself to shifting my work, to writing more,sharing myself more openly on this and other platforms, and to telling thetruth about how Im doing.

Service.

And I am opening up time in my schedule to work one-on-one withpeople. Many people have served as my transformational teacher/coach/guide, andto give back, Ive got to start doing this for others.

Go directly toward that which fills your soul.

Ive always gone the round about way to my greatest goals andpassions, instead of moving directly toward my desires. And so I ended up helpingpeople through building buildings, or satisfying my creative itch through thedesign ofthose buildings. Instead of just helping people and doingart.

Self-work.

Even helping others can be a bit of an escape from the real workwe are here to do.So I will continue to look at myself, embrace theresistance, see it as the way through the suffering to freedom. And recognizethat everything is so perfect and beautiful exactly as it is. The I amthat is my essence, the one aligned with my soul, let it shine.

Being good to my body.

The cookies and crackers have got to go. The running has to comeback. The bosu ball instead of the couch. Those things that keep both the mindand the body healthy.

The Ultimate Gift to My Health? Forgiveness.

I will live longer, but not just because of the 70 supplements Imnow taking daily, but because of the big giant ball of forgiveness and lovethat Ive embraced in my body. Deep in my body, so deep that it wants to loveall of the pieces of me and everyone around me.

______

Going to the longevity clinic worked, btw. Not as insuranceagainst death, but it taught me to reconcile my goal with my reality. Living along life is what I was looking for, and the truth is, Ive since learned whatI need to do.

Ive mostly learned that living a long life is a nice idea, a goodgoal, but if you arent awake, free or loving enough to really enjoy it, whywould you aspire?

For me, I had to get scared enough in order to really understand how to extend my life. Whether it works or not, I had to get to a deeper why about what it means to be alive.

Go here to read the rest:
My Path to Being 33 Years Old Until Im 133 Years Old - Thrive Global